October 29, 2009

Brrrr. It’s been so chilly here in Idaho. It seems we went straight from summer into winter with not much of my favorite fall season in between.

With the cooler temperatures, not much sounds better to me for dinner than a bowl of warm homey soup. I’m kind of a soup fanatic and because of that we do “Souper Sunday” each weekend in our household. I created this recipe for Pumpkin Soup a couple of years back and it’s become a favorite stand-by especially around this time of year. It’s simple, low-fat and high fiber. Plus it just tastes really good!

If you want to be really creative and Marthaesque, hollow out a big pumpkin and serve up your soup in it. The croutons are obviously not low-fat but they are delish and if you can keep yourself from shoving them in your mouth by the handful (I personally struggle with this), you won’t have to run too far to justify adding them to this healthy soup.

Daphne’s Easy Pumpkin Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried sage

29 oz. can of pumpkin puree (or fresh pumpkin if you so desire)

8 cups low sodium chicken broth/stock

½ cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

croutons (homemade or store bought)

Heat olive oil and sage in large pot over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin, stir and heat for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Add cream, stir and add salt and pepper to taste. You may need a lot of salt but I prefer to use the low sodium broth and then add my own salt back in so I can control the amount that goes in.

Keep over low heat until served. Ladle into mugs and top with crunchy croutons. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. Makes 8 servings.

Daphne’s Croutons

Baguette (french, sourdough, seeded – any will work)

1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted (8 Tbsp.)

1/4 cup olive oil (garlic olive oil works wonderfully too)

sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the baguette into 1-inch cubes. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and olive oil. Toss well so that each piece is completely coated. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet, lightly salt and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Use on soups and salads. These will keep for several days in a ziploc bag or airtight container. If they last that long! You can also experiment and add fresh herbs, parmesan cheese to make “Caesar” croutons, etc. You would just mix in whatever you want to add when you are tossing the bread with the butter/oil mixture.